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Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) sitting on the ground. This carnivore hunts small gazelles and other ungulates (hoofed mammals), getting as close as possible to its prey and then breaking into a very fast sprint. It is the fastest living land mammal, reaching speeds of over 110 kilometres per hour. These can only be sustained for short periods however, after which the chase is abandoned and the cheetah must rest. A. jubatus is found throughout non-forested areas of Africa south of the Sahara and in Arabia from Iran to Kazakhstan.